Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-02
SUNDAY Law.
THE QUESTION DISCUSSED BY ITS
SUPPGRTESS.
Mass Meeting in the Assembly Cham
Der Last Evening-BriefS Synopsis
of the Speeches.

The mass meeting held in the Assembly
Chamber last evening for the purpose of
discussing the Sunday law question, was
largely attended. the members desks being
occupied BY ladies principally. The lobby
was well filled as was also the gallery. 1t
was quite noticeable fact that members of
the Assembly were conspicuous by their
absence, and few of the Senators graced the
meeting with their presence. If the object Of
holding the meeting in the Capitol building
was to secure the attendance of number
of the lawmakers of the State there, in that
much it was failure. If it was to bring
out an audience of representative men and
women of this city, then it was a decided
success.
Rev DR.. Frost called the meeting to
order He said they had met in the inter
est of question that was semi-political
and semi-moral not to reflect public senti-
ment but to create il. 1t was great 9ues-
ton; one that concerns every individual,
every home, every town, every State IN The
Union.
He then introduced as the Chairman of
the evening the presiding officer OF the AS
sembly
SPEAKER JORDAN.
Mr.. Jordan, in assuming the chair, said
Ladies and Gentlemen While the sur
roundings are not Unfamiliar to preside
over this assemblage gives me no little en-
barrassment His position reminded him
of that of a member of the Assembly who,
being a member of the Committee on Edu-
;.,4 cd Ia nj
When brought into the presence of several
hundred young ladies, this gentleman was
called upon for speech. He blushingly
arose and commenced his speech with
something like this Young ladies, I'm
very much embarrassed indeed, l am.
Such an array of beauty and intelligence to
me is a very unusual spectacle. I'm used
to confronting members of the Legisla-
lature." The object of the meeting has
been outlined by DR.. Frost-the question
of whether or not law shall be enacted to
set aside one day out of seven for day of
rest. 1t is not a religious question, but one
in which all the people are interested. The
speaker then read long list of Vice-Presi-
dents.
The first speaker introduced was Assem-
blyman
GEORGE W. KNOX, OF LOS ANGELES,
Who said this was question upon which
every public man should have as President
Andrew Johnson used to say, policy. 1t is
a remarkable fact that Southern California
is filling up to-day with the cream of the
intelligence, refinement and wealth of the
Eastern and Northeastern sections of our
Union They come here believing our
State to be second Garden of Eden. Their
hopes are realized so far as soil and climate
are concerned. They find a paradise that
has made happy homes and prosperous
people. They find, Also that while Cali
fornia has so much to boast of, we had no
day set apart for rest, expressive of reh-
gious sentiment, appropriate for Christian
worship. This is said not to be a religious
question. but with religious people it is
religious question. The people who come
from the Fast, who have been accustomed
to look upon the Sabbath as a day Of rest,
one that should be devoted to Christian
worship, cannot readily
GRASP THE CALIFORNIA IDEA
That it is merely holiday. AS our Codes
now stand the Sabbath is nothing more
and as such is classed with the 4th of July
and 22d of February. 1t is a holiday
nothing more nor less. AS a holiday, none
will say we do not need it. Our State long
ago recognized the fact that something
more than holiday observance was neces-
sary, and laws calling tor the closing of
saloons and forbidding other things often
sive to religious tastes were passed. -Four
| years ago one of those strange upheavals
| in politics came along, and the great Dem
ocratlc party riding into power, repealed
those laws, and the Sabbath day since has
been regarded simply as a holiday.
Whether we want q holiday simply, or
coupled with it religious observance, is
matter that concerns US as individuals.
| But whether or not the
SALOONS ARE TO REMAIN OPEN,
Our children enticed therein and made
drunkards, contract the habit of gambling,
come in contact with infamous associations
and all manner of vice, concerns Us col
lectively He would not say that all sa-
looms tolerated infamy and vice, for many
were on plane of responsibility and were
| frequented by good citizens, but it was
well known fact that majority of the So
called saloons are where vice and crime
have their origin. Sunday being holiday.
your boy and mine are turned loose; they
wander where they please. Ought these
| dens of vice to be opened to them on that
day to tempt them from the paths of virtue
and morality? The speaker said he was
born and raised in country where the
rest, but where
SOCIETY PROTECTED AND SHELTERED IT
From all corrupting influences usually
found around places Of vice. Why are the
saloons closed upon election day? Why
did they not abolish that law also? Be-
cause the public sentiment in both the
political parties recognize the uudeniable
fact that the saloous are the places from
which ORIGINATE all trouble if not all vice
We have repealed the Sunday law. We
should now re-enact it. If not as il was
formerly, then in some other form. how
ever modified. The time is ripe for such
movement. l believe my constituents
would stand by me in voting for its enact
ment If, however, l thought they would
not stand by me upon that question, then
would stand by myself. Applause 1t
is right, it is just, it is in the interest of the
whole people We want Sunday law
that will protect our little ones and shield
them from the allurements of vice. The
speaker referred to the great number of
Young men who were growing up in Cali